Pump



W. C. BROWN.

PUMP;

APPLICATION FILED DEC-I6, 1915- 1,366,713. Patented Jan. 25,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR.

17 ATTORNEY.

w. 0. BROWN. PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 16. 1915.

1 366,7 1 3 Patented Jan. 2 5

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IN VEN TOR.

A TTORN E Y.

PATENT orrics.

WILLIAM 0. BROWN, or svimonsn, NEW YORK.

PUMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Application filed December 16, 1915. Serial No. 67,137.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VJILLIAM C. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, State of New )Iorlr, have invented new and useful Pumps of which the following is a specifi- I cation.

My invention relates to improvements in pumps. The object is to utilize the momentum of a weight connected with the power piston and the pump piston or plunger, in which connection the weight of the moving parts used for the purpose of storing energy during the early part of the power stroke and giving off said stored energy toward the end of said stroke. In vertical single acting machines I also utilize gravity in returning the parts to'original position. and compressing the expansible medium in the power cylinder.

The invention is especially adapted to overcoming the difficulty in the practical operation of a steam pump using steam expansively and using a reciprocating weight or heavy parts for storing the energy at the beginning of the stroke and getting it back at the end of the stroke. The means for overcoming this difficulty are three.

.1. A single acting pump in which the length of the upward travel is unimportant and the length of the downward travel is kept fairly uniform on account of the uniform conditions of gravity of a given weight compressing agiven amount of steam at a substantially constant initial pressure.

2. The use of a una-flow engine in which the exhaust valve is Closed about the time the steam piston starts on its return stroke, thereby compressing practically the whole cylinder full of steam and running the comprcssion up so high at the end of the stroke that mall differences in the travel make great differences in the pressure and consequently slight differences in the length of stroke.

3. A retarded valve action which permits the piston to travel after the valve Inecha- I nism has moved to a point where the valve will be thrown.

lVhile I show all three methods used in combination. it is obvious that either of these three methods may be used separately. or any two may be used in combination;

In steam pump using steam expansively, in order to obtain economical results from the steam a condition exists of a power piston against which there is a variable pressure driving awater piston or plunger against which there is a constant resistance so that it is necessary by some means to store the excess of energy during the first part of the stroke when the pressure against the power piston exceeds the resistance against the water piston and to give off this energy at the latter part of the stroke when the steam pressure has fallen due to the cut off and consequent expansion, so that the pressure against the power piston is less than the resistance against the water plunger. This is ordinarily accomplished by means of a fiy wheel requiring not. only the fly wheel but its shaft, with its bearings. cranks, connecting rods, etc. It is possible to accomplish this result by means of a reciprocating weight. Difficulties in the past have been encountered in constructing a ma chine using a reciprocating weight which would operate successfully from a mechanical standpoint.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these difficulties and permit of a satisfactory commercial machine using a reciprocating weight and thereby getting awayfrom the fly wheel and its necessary complications.

Referrin to the drawings which. illustrate merely by way of example. suitable embodiments of my invention Figure 1 is a vertical section of a single acting pump.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a pump" having a una-flow double acting power cylinder.

with a differential plunger connected with the power piston.

Figs. 3 and 4t are details of the valve actuating mechanism.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the power cylinder 5 is a single acting una-flow steam cylinder having a jacket 6 at the live steamintake end of the cylinder. Live steam is introduced into this acket through steam supply pipe 7 and circulates through the jacket chamber 6 before delivering through valve 8 to the cylinder 5. g

The steam discharges or exhausts through ports 9 which are controlled the piston 10. which uncovers said ports 9 at the end of the power stroke.

Ports 9 deliver to an exhaust belt 11 which in turn" delivers to the exhaust pipe 12.

V the cold. end of the piston will overrun them Near the top of the cylinder body 5 are provided ports 13 communicating with the exhaust belt 11., Through these ports exhaust steam may be drawn in and expelled from the cylinder by the piston reciprocation. These ports 1.25 are so disposed that near the one of the power stroke and close the same. Tlns results in trapping an elastic cushion in the top of the cylinder and compressing the same, thus affording a cushioning stop for the end of the upstroke or power stroke and this cushion is adapted to react in accelerating the. return stroke. The vent i l controlled by needle valve 15 forms adjustable means for regulating the effectiveness of the said cushion.

In all pumps using rcciprocated weights for storing energy there is nothing which mechanically regulates the length of stroke to take the place of the throw oi? crai'ik where a flywheel is used. The length of stroke therefore is liable to vary with varia tions in the steam pressure and variations in the water pressure with which almost every pump has to contend. In order to overcome this difliculty this machine is made single acting, the power stroke is upward, there being no work done by the pump on the down-stroke and consequently there is no necessity for operating an inlet steam valve to produce the down stroke. Variations of steam and water pressures tend to vary the unstroke but, so longas the piston travels far enough to open the exhaust, the inechan. icaloperation of the machine is not affected by the length of the stroke. It can be readily understood that it would be perfectly feasible to impart a velocity to the upward moving parts and let them come to rest after the exhaust port has become opened by the retardation due to gravity, by simply makng the cylinder snfiiciently long to cover ordinary-cases. As a break in the discharge pipe might entirely relieve the load from the plunger the cylinder would have to be quite long to guard against this contingency,

and thereforethe air cushion or dash-pot is provided for the top of the piston to stop the working parts on the upstroke in case, for any reason, an unusual amount of energy has been stored inthe moving weight.

To the piston 10 is connected, by the piston rod 16, the weight 1.7, and by the piston rod 18, the plunger or pump piston 19. The plunger 19 reciprocates in the cylinder 20 inclosed within the chambered body 21. This chambered body 21 connects at its lower end with the supply pipe 22 and at its upper end with the discharge pipe 23. The cylinder 20 and the non-return valves 24: and 25 divide the chambered body 21 into three compartments as follows:-compartment 26 connected with the supply pipe 22, compartment 27 connected with the cylinder 20 and suitable way, as for example the air cham-' ber 58, see Fig. 2.

It will be noted that cylinder 20 is open at both ends.

It is desirable that the down-stroke should be practically unit rm as the steam admission valve is opened by a mechanism attached. directly to the moving parts, but unless some means were provided to insure a uniformity in the length of the down-stroke, a condition might exist whereby the stroke would not be sufficiently long to open the steam valve and the pump would stop. in this machine there is no work done in the down-stroke, excepting the compression of the steam entrapped in the cylinder after exhaust has taken place, and as the amount of steam entrapped isa substantially constant amount and the gravity action of the weight of the parts a constant iiorce, the

length, due to variation of'triction of the parts, and therefore it is desirable to provide some means which will permit of a slight variation without stopping the pump by cause of the stroke not being of sutlicient length to open the steam admission valve. This result is accomplished by imparting to the valve operating mechanism a slightly retarding action so that there will be a certain interval of time after the valve mechanism has moved to a point where the valve will be opened, before the valve is actually opened. In this way the valve mechanism can be set so that it will be operated shortly before the piston comes to the desired end of its stroke and the piston will continue to travel and reach the desired point at the time the valve is opened'to start the return stroke. If this is done it can readily be seen that if on account of extra friction, due to poor lubrication, or any other cause, the pisston does not drop to the desired point, the valve will still be opened, even it a little late, and the machine will continue to operate.

The steam admission valve 8 is operated by the following means. The lever 29 is plvoted at 30 to the fixed housing 31. This lever is connected by the link 32 to a collar 33 on piston rod 16, and is also connected at 8d to the spindle 35 which is comprised in the valve actuating mechanism.

Referring toFigs. 3 and at the port 66 communicates with the live steam space in the cylinder head 6 and serves to establish communication through the recess 67 about the spindle 35 with the space 6g behind "the piston valve 8 when the spindle 35 is in the required position. The spindle 35 is moved into the position, shown in Fig. t, when the piston 10 reaches the point where cut off is desired and the pressure thus established behind piston valve 8 causes the valve 8 to move into the position closing port 69. Upon the down stroke of piston 10 and the other reciprocating parts the spindle is shifted as above described into the position shown in Fig. 3, establishing communication between exhaust channel 70, pipe 70, and exhaustbelt 11, and cutting off communication with port (36, thus relieving pressure behind piston valve 8. Piston 8, now being subject to the pressure of live steam upon its other side, and also to the pressure of the steam trapped and compressed beneath the piston 10, will open said port 69. The rapidity of said opening movement will depend upon the degree of opening in the exhaust chan nel '70 which is controlled by the adjustable needle valve 71.

Operation: Upon admission of live steanr into the power cylinder beneath the power piston, the piston is driven upwardly, causing the upward movement of weight 17 and oi. plunger 19.

When the resistance of the plunger and ot' the weight, idue to the combined action of the elastic cushion compressed at the top of the cylinder and to gravity, overcomes the gradually falling pressure in the steam cylindcr and the stored energy in the weight, the parts will come to restatter the exhaust ports have been opened, permitting the steam to be exhausted from the cylinder. It

. is not essential to the successful operation of the machine that the parts shall stop immediately upon opening the exhaust ports, therefore the action is not so sensitive as to require accurate regulation.

After the parts have come to rest they will return to their original position by the reaction of the elastic cushion and by gravity, compressing the steam entrapped below the piston, after the piston has closed the ex haust port.

Upon the power stroke of the piston 10, which causes the upstroke of plunger 19, liquid is' drawn into compartment 2? through valve 2% and into the lower end of cylinder 20. Liquid also delivered from the top of cylinder 20 above the plunger, and consequently through discharge pipe 23. Upon the down stroke or gravity stroke of plunger 19, liquid is discharged "from compartment 27 through valve into compartment 28, as the liquid propelled from the lower end of cylinder 20. At the same time liquid under pressure at its head follows and exerts pressure upon the upper side of plunger 19, so that the pressures above and below the plunger are balanced, and there is little or no work done by the plunger in said gravity stroke, while in the power stroke the plunger 19 operates against suction pressure and also against head, and practically all the work done on thi stroke.

In Fig. 2, I show a: double acting-unafiow steam power cylinder 36 having steam jackets 37 and 38 at each end and live steam inlet valves 39 and 4l0 located in said jackets. The exhaust ports 41 are located in the middle of the cylinder and discharge to the exhaust belt a2 which in turn discharges into the exhaust pipe T he power piston as; is adapted to overrun the exhaust ports and open the same for the exhaust of steam at the end of each stroke. The power piston a l is connected by the piston rod 45 with the weight i6 which in turn is connected with the differential, plungers l7 and 48. Plunger i8 operates in the cylinder 49 which is open at both ends and suitably supported in the compartments 50 and 51 of the chambered body 52. This chambered body 52 is also provided with the compartment 53 connected with the liquid supply port 5% and with the compartment 55 connected with the discharge port 56. Coinpartinents 53 and 55 are also provided with the air chambers .57 and 58 respectively. Non-return valves 59 are provided between compartment and compartments 51 and 50 while non-return valves 60 are provided between compartment 50 and 51 and coinpartnicut The valves 39 and d0 of the power cylinder are controlled by a suitable cam rod 61. operatedby the lever 62 pivoted at 68 and operatively connected as at Get with the piston rod 45.

will be understood that with a double acting power cylinder the plunger and weight may be operated either horizontally or vertically. Where horizontally the momentum alone of the weight is utilized in each direction of its movement. iihen operated vertically as shown in the present example, momentum and gravity of the weight are used in the down stroke. while mo inentuin only is utilized in the upstroke. For this reason, a'ditlorential plunger is 'used to balance the weight so that the. otlect will be the same on both the up and down stroke.

In operation, starting for example with the piston in the lower position upon admitting steam through valve L0 the piston is c: rried upwardly until the exhaust ports 41 are uncovered by said piston permitting the exhaust oi the steam therethrough, while a certain amount of exhaust steam is entrapped and compressed above the piston in the upper part of the cylinder thus cushioning the end of the upstroke. The excessive energy at the beginning of the stroke be fore cut-ofl and during expansion after cutoff is absorbed by the weight 46 and the other moving parts, which energy is given back by the momentum of the moving parts thus completing the stroke and compressing the exhaust steam above the piston 44. When the piston reaches the top of the stroke the steam valve 39 will be opened causing the piston tostart downward in the same manner as the upstroke, thus completing the cycle. Upon the upstroke of plungers 4'7 and d8 liquid is drawn through nonreturn valves 59 into compartment 51 and is discharged from compartment through non return valve 60 into the compartment 55 and thence out through discharge port 56. Upon the downstroke of plungers 4a? and as liquid is introduced through nonreturn valves 59 into compartment 50' and liquid at the same time is discharged from compartment 51. through non-return valve 60 into compartment'55. Itwill be noted however that on the down stroke liquid representing the entire displacement of plunger 48 will be discharged from compartment 51 while on the upstroke the liquid displaced will only be that affected by the area of plunger 48 less the area of plunger 47 so as to compensate for the gravity force '01)- posed to the upstroke.

Una-flow engines are especially adapted to my purpose in that the compression pres sure rises so rapidly at the end of the stroke,

that slight differences in length of stroke cause great difiierences in pressure.

Single acting pistons permit a great variation of the stroke in one direction, which does no harm, and slight variations in the other direction due to constant conditions.

adapted to steam operated pumps, itwill be understood that compressed air may be used as the power medium with corresponding results.

What I claim is 1. In a pump, the combination of a pump-chamber and piston or plunger operating therein, a steam power cylinder and piston operating therein, means for establishing operative relationship between said pistons, heavy parts moving with said power piston capable of reciprocation with variable stroke adapted to store energy during the early part of the power stroke and to give out energy during the latter part thereof, said power piston adapted to close \Vhile the present invention is especiallythe exhaust port at the beginning of the return stroke and operating by gravity in connection with the heavy parts to compress practically the Whole cylinder full of steam to cause a high compression thereof at "the; end of the return stroke, and operating on the power stroke only to perform all the work of pumping both on the suction and delivery side.

2. In a pump, the combination of a steam power cylinder, a power piston operating therein with a variable stroke, heavy parts connected with the piston as means for utilizing momentum to absorb energy during the early part of the power stroke, and to I give out energy during the latter part there of, whereby the steam may actexpansively, the cylinder PlOVlClGCl with exhaust ports adapted to be opened near the end of the power stroke and to be closed at such 13011113 on the return stroke that a large part of the expanded steam is trapped by the piston and highly compressed at the end of -athe return stroke, said cylinder also provided with a steam admission valve and controlling mechanism therefor initially actuated by the piston movement prior to the end of its normal return stroke whereby the valve is opened a substantial period after said initial actuation, for the purpose of insuring said valve opening, in case of a less than normal return stroke.

3. In pump, the combination of a pumpchamher and piston or plunger operating therein, a una-flow single acting steam power cylinder and piston operating therein, means for establishing operative relationship between said pistons, heavy parts moving with said power piston capable of reciprocation with variable stroke adapted to store energy during the early part of the power stroke'and to give out energy during the latter part thereof, said power piston adapted to close the exhaust port at the be ginning of the return stroke and operating by gravity in connection with the heavy parts to compress practically the whole cylinder full of steam to cause ahigh compression thereof at the end of the return stroke,

and operating on the power stroke only to perform all the work of pumping both on i the suction and delivery side.

WM. C. BROWN.

lVitnesses VVILFRED A. REVILLE, W OLFGANG TURNWALD. 

